Movie Madness or How to Lose Money Quickly in Film

I must be imagining things. Sandwiched around some huge movie blockbusters to be released in May, comes this independent film.

Maggie Hyllenhall, Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson in Frank

Unknown to me and probably a lot of other people, Lenny Abrahamson’s comedy about an eccentric band leader, Chris Sievey AKA Frank Sidebottom, will be released (unleashed) in May.

In case you’re like me and missed this excursion into musical entertainment, Frank Sidebottom was a fictional character assumed by Chris Seivey. He would wear an over-sized papier-mache head as part of the act with a swimmers nose clip on under the mask to alter his voice. None of his music caught a large market segment but several members of his entourage went on to become successful in their own way.

Somehow this movie has managed to stay away from the spotlight and is now being promoted. I can’t say this is a movie that attracts my ticket money. We’ll see how it turns out, but to me it looks like a candidate for the Golden Turkey.

As strange as the object of the film may be, surely someone with the acting credentials of Michael Fassbender must look back and wonder, why did I make this film?! Then again, no one in acting wants to be considered only for specific roles. This film should break that mold, if there ever was one for Mr. Fassbender.